Browns reach a new low point

By TONY GROSSI AND MARY KAY CABOT

CINCINNATI — The Browns turned a corner on offense in Detroit last week, all right. If not for that brick wall on the other side they’d be in business.

Splat went the offense again, squashed like a bug by the Cincinnati Bengals in an all-too-familiar loss, 16-7, on Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.

The Bengals (8-3) out-rushed the Browns, 210-58, and controlled the kicking game as if their roster were the one built for special teams. Those factors enabled Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to win despite a bad day (13 of 24 for 110 yards, one touchdown and three sacks).

“They came out and ran the ball, what, 75 times?” asked Browns (1-10) linebacker David Bowens.

As if 1-10 isn’t bad enough, Shaun Rogers, the Browns’ best defensive player, had his season end with a leg injury, according to a league source.

The exact nature of the nose tackle’s injury is unknown, but it could be an ankle or an Achilles. Rogers hobbled through the locker room on crutches, with his lower left leg wrapped and his face looking distraught

He spent a few minutes huddled up with Robaire Smith at his locker, then limped into the trainers’ room, unable to put any weight on his right leg. Smith, who came back from an Achilles injury that cost him most of 2008, had some words of encouragement for his good friend.

“It’s like one of your brothers getting hurt,” said Smith. “Like I told him, everything happens for a reason, and he’s got to do whatever he can to get it right. The key is to jump on it early.”

Added Bowens: “It’s bad to see him on crutches like that. Baby is one of those players that wants to be in there making plays for us and right now he’s really frustrated -- and it’s totally understandable.”

Rogers was one of four defensive starters --- including two linemen -- who left the game with injuries. The others were end Kenyon Coleman (knee), linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (knee) and safety Brodney Pool (head injury).

The Browns’ offensive relapse, meanwhile, re-established the first year of coach Eric Mangini as a season for the ages. Or, should we say, for the aged.

U The Browns dropped to 1-10 for the first time in their history.

U The 10th loss assured the Browns of their sixth season of double-digit losses in seven years. That is the worst stretch in their history.

U It was the seventh time in 11 games the Browns failed to score more than seven points.

“Yeah, it sort of reminds you the way we lost other games,” said receiver Chansi Stuckey, whose catch for 24 yards just 66 seconds into the proceedings was the longest play of the game for the Browns.

The Bengals limited the Browns to 169 offensive yards — their best defensive showing since a game against Pittsburgh in 1983.

And yet, the Browns maintained that their game plan did not differ drastically from the one that produced 439 yards, 37 points, and numerous deep passes against the Lions last week.

“I really felt like we had some opportunities,” Mangini said. “Some of those opportunities were eliminated by drops. I’m not sure how many we had, but it was too many. We had some guys open and we couldn’t get the ball to them.”

Quarterback Brady Quinn was all over the place with his throws, and that did include hitting some receivers on the hands. He was 15-of-34 for 100 yards and one sack.

The highlights of the game for him occurred in the Browns’ lone scoring drive in the third quarter. Quinn caught his first pass since the homecoming game of his senior year at Dublin Coffman High School — a gain of 18 yards on a throw from Josh Cribbs after a handoff from Quinn. Five plays later, Quinn scored the touchdown from 9 yards out on a designed quarterback draw. That was the third rushing touchdown of the season for the Browns — all by quarterbacks.

The low points came five minutes into the fourth quarter, with the Browns backed up to their 13-yard line.

From the 13, Quinn attempted three successive short passes to Cribbs. The first and third were wide receiver screens that did not fool the Bengals.

“They were calling out, ‘Screen, screen,’ ” Cribbs said.

Of the compressed passing game overall, Quinn said, “They bring some pressure and sometimes it is more than we can handle. A lot of times it doesn’t allow me to sit back there and take all day to throw. We tried to take shots when we could, but, again, that’s part of the game plan and part of what they do well.”

The Browns needed their defense and special teams to have good days, and they didn’t.

Cribbs was frustrated all day in the return game. He had no yards on punt returns and only 38 on two kickoff returns.

“It gets harder and harder to get the ball in Josh’s hands because no one wants to kick to him,” Mangini said. “It doesn’t matter which team we face, when they’re facing us they are going to give it their best shot.”

As usual, the defense had its moments. As usual, it also gave up chunks of yards on the ground.

With starter Cedric Benson sitting out with a hip injury, the Bengals alternated outside threat Bernard Scott with newly acquired power runner Larry Johnson. Johnson gained 107 yards on 22 attempts. Scott added 87 on 18 carries.

The lone touchdown came on a 4-yard Palmer toss to tight end J.P. Foschi in the second quarter.